JP 2006-27493A (Reference 1) discloses a sunroof apparatus in the related art. This sunroof apparatus includes guide rails that are respectively provided in edge portions of an opening, which is formed in a roof of a vehicle, in a lateral direction of the vehicle, and shoe members (drive shoes) which are respectively provided along the guide rails such that the shoe members can be moved in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The sunroof apparatus includes support brackets, each of which includes a front end portion connected turnably to the guide rail, and a rear end portion engaged with the shoe member, and which support a movable panel which opens and closes the opening. When the shoe member is moved relative to the support bracket in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the support bracket is turned such that the rear end portion is pivotally moved upward and downward around the front end portion. Accordingly, the movable panel is opened and closed between a fully closed position and a tilt-up position.
Particularly, when the movable panel is present at the tilt-up position, a holding portion provided in the shoe member is engaged with a guide groove formed in the support bracket such that the holding portion holds the support bracket in a turning direction of the support bracket. Accordingly, bending moment applied to a rear end of the support bracket is reduced such that the twisting of the movable panel supported by the support bracket can be prevented.
In the sunroof apparatus disclosed in Reference 1, bending moment around an axis substantially along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle may be applied to the shoe member, and thus, it is required that strength (hereinafter, also referred to as “strength in the lateral direction of the vehicle”) of the shoe member against the bending moment is ensured.